


The Story of the City

by Elfy (elfowlgirl)



Category: Thrilling Intent (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, Origin Story, Speculation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:20:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24478588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elfowlgirl/pseuds/Elfy
Summary: Gregor can't sleep, so Zalvetta tells him a story.
Relationships: Gregor Hartway & Zalvetta, Gregor Hartway/Zalvetta
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	The Story of the City

“Zalvetta,” Gregor said as he stared up at the tattered ceiling of the Nine Shrines bar. The moon was already halfway through the sky, visible through small cracks in the roof above. “Could you tell me a story? I can’t fall asleep. Please.”

Zalvetta had, truthfully, been waiting patiently for Gregor’s own breathing to slow before drifting off to sleep himself. After the events of, well, everything that had taken place at Castle Crowhenge, he wanted to look over Gregor until things got closer to normal. Whatever it was he could do to help in a time like this. He didn’t know what else to do.

So Zalvetta sat and thought for a little bit as he struggled to come up with a suitable story. Most of the things he came up with were probably not exactly helpful if Gregor wanted to sleep. “Uh… How about I tell you about the founding of Xinkala?”

“That sounds neat.”

Zalvetta gave the slightest of smiles as he began his story:

“Long ago, the self-proclaimed god Xin of Oaths wanted to construct a city for the humans of Onorhant. His plan was to ultimately bring all four of the clans together in this place, but the other gods were prideful and he knew it would not be easy to simply invite them to join him without disrupting the peace of the clans.  
“After construction had gone on for a while, he began to run low on resources. Especially tiles. Fucker loved tiles.

“So Xin went to Meer of Gold, the richest of the gods, and asked for his monetary assistance in the building of the city. Meer would do so on the condition that he and his people have a place within the city for themselves, and Xin readily agreed.

“As things went on, however, Xin had not adequately prepared for the amount of people who would need to live in this place. His city planning was... Not good by any stretch of the imagination.

“Next, Xin went to Kairen of Lilies, the wisest of the gods, and asked for his help in planning the city. Kairen would do so on the condition that he and his people have a place within the city for themselves, and Xin, once more, readily agreed.

“But no matter how well the city was planned, it would do no good if the people living there were not skilled and well kept. They needed blacksmiths and guards to keep the people in the city in good shape.

“So Xin went to Lord Tenui of Rust, and asked for his help in protecting the city. Tenui was not as rich as Meer or as wise as Kairen or as sly as Xin, but he was the strongest - strongest in mind, body, and soul. He knew what Xin was up to, and as well as asking for a place for his Rust Clan to occupy in the city, he used this request as a great opportunity to get rid of a pesky thorn in his side.

“The thorn, you see, had been Tenui’s pet project. For all his strength, he struggled to shape the thing into a weapon to serve the gods, and thought Xin might do better at the task - especially now as Tenui would be preoccupied helping with the city. Considering the things Tenui could have asked of him, this was something minor enough he chose not to argue. He was close enough to his goal that he would have accepted almost anything Tenui requested regardless. Perhaps he could prove himself by doing what Tenui could not. 

“And so, as the last of the great city of Xinkala was being built, Xin was introduced to Tenui’s thorn - a violent and rebellious kid with black hair and dead eyes who Tenui had done his best to try and tame.”

Zalvetta went silent again for a little while. Gregor’s eyes were locked on him, attentive.

“...I think Xin would have given him another name, if it had worked out. If he’d held to his promise and done what Tenui asked. But he didn’t. So the kid was stuck with his name, and was forever known as ‘thorn’ - in Old Onorhian, ‘Zalvetta’.”

Silence hung in the air. Zalvetta was considering that this was actually perhaps not a good bedtime story - not after the direction he’d taken it, anyway.

“You…” Gregor trailed off as he processed this information. His train of thought had briefly been interrupted when it derailed and fell off a cliff at the end of the tale. “You... were around at the founding of Xinkala? Hundreds of years ago?”

Zalvetta nodded. His face was calm and gaze distant, like he was still lost in the past. “The nature of one of my abilities,” he said, “is that after I use it I end up in a sort of… stasis. It lasts for years, sometimes decades, at a time. All the time I’ve missed, the people I’ve forgotten.. It was a miracle that I got to meet you, Gregor.”

“There seems to be a lot of those around me,” Gregor said, joking half-heartedly. He yawned.

“Bad things happen,” Zalvetta said. “But sometimes miracles like that make them worth it.”

“I don’t know if I’d say that.” Gregor said as he burrowed back into his blankets.

Zalvetta looked up at the moon. “I would.”


End file.
